Zeekr 007 GT Introduces Advanced Smart Tinting Glass Technology

With the rapid development of automotive intelligence and electrification, panoramic glass has become increasingly popular in high-end models due to its advantages in enhancing the sense of space and visual transparency. However, addressing user concerns such as sun protection, heat insulation, and privacy while maintaining a broad field of view has become a key focus for the industry. Zhao Tianliang, Chief Glass Expert at Zeekr C-line R&D, first shared insights about the Zeekr 007 GT model. As user demands for both driving and living comfort rise, the shooting brake form has emerged. This model not only meets daily commuting needs but also excels in outdoor lifestyle scenarios, catering to users who seek uniqueness and high quality. He pointed out that the basic functions of glass include lighting and enclosure, while also serving roles in noise reduction and heat insulation. The panoramic glass must create a transparent space and broad field of view while achieving high visible light transmittance and excellent sun protection performance, ensuring low transmittance of ultraviolet and infrared rays, while also considering safety. Focusing on the core indicators of dimming technology, Zhao elaborated on aspects such as color selection and light transmittance. The dimmable panoramic glass equipped on the Zeekr 007 GT features a smoky black neutral color, balancing high light transmittance and sun protection, accurately reproducing the true colors of objects, and exhibiting low haze characteristics for clear visibility. The system employs intelligent algorithms to sense external light, automatically adjusting brightness to enhance passenger comfort. Compared to traditional sedans with limited space and low ground clearance, the shooting brake, derived from a sedan prototype, raises its trunk design, maintaining the handling advantages of a lower chassis while providing the larger passenger and cargo space of an SUV, accommodating diverse commuting, road cruising, coastal vacations, prairie camping, free skiing, and snowfield travel scenarios. Glass, as an indispensable component of vehicles, plays a crucial role in separating spaces, such as isolating the interior from the exterior environment, while also allowing light entry and providing heat insulation and noise reduction. When applied to automotive panoramic roofs, glass not only retains its basic functions but also adds specific requirements; typically, the thickness of panoramic glass is around 5 to 6 mm, compared to the 30 to 40 mm of traditional metal roofs, significantly increasing cabin space, especially important under the current trend of electric vehicles where battery packs occupy much of the cabin area. Furthermore, panoramic glass provides an expansive view for occupants to enjoy better scenery and must meet relevant safety regulations to ensure passenger safety. The challenges and breakthroughs in dimming solutions for the Zeekr 007 GT's panoramic glass, with its impressive dimensions of 1.4 meters vertically and nearly 1 meter horizontally, create an outstanding open view and excellent lighting experience for both front and rear passengers, allowing them to fully appreciate the outdoor scenery and atmosphere. To effectively address the core challenge of large-area light transmission—users' urgent need for sun protection while pursuing transparency and outdoor beauty—Zeekr 007 GT introduces an intelligent dimming technology solution. This solution surpasses the limitations of traditional fixed light transmittance, providing users with the ability to dynamically adjust light. The industry currently offers various mainstream dimming technology paths, including EC (electrochromic), SPD (suspended particle device), LC (liquid crystal), and LV (liquid crystal polymer), each exhibiting different characteristics in color performance, haze range, power consumption, operating voltage, response speed, and regional adaptability. The Zeekr 007 GT is designed based on an in-depth understanding and application of these advanced technologies, aiming to deliver an unparalleled driving and lighting experience. After a comprehensive evaluation of various dimming technologies, Zeekr 007 GT selected the electrochromic (EC) solution, achieving breakthroughs in several key performance indicators: the visible light adjustment factor reaches up to 40 times, with an adjustment range from 0.15% to 6%, placing it at the industry's leading level. This adjustment range is defined by the pursuit of an ultimate user experience, determined through outdoor real-world experiences with users across different seasons and regions, establishing that a minimum transmittance rate of 0.15% means that even under direct exposure to intense summer sunlight, users can rest under the panoramic roof at this setting, completely blocking out the sensation of sunburn. To ensure the colors of the scenery viewed through the panoramic roof remain true and natural, the solution specifically utilizes a neutral color—smoky black. In aspects of spectral control that are crucial but less perceptible to users yet vital for comfort, the system achieves nearly 100% ultraviolet (UV) blocking and significantly restricts infrared (IR) wavelengths, particularly those above 1500 nanometers, to less than 1%, effectively preventing sunburn and significantly reducing heat buildup. Additionally, regarding the key indicator impacting visual clarity—haze—the panoramic glass maintains about 2.5%, far below the perceptible threshold for users (approximately 3%), ensuring clear and transparent visibility. These breakthrough indicators form the foundation of the ultimate experience provided by the Zeekr 007 GT's panoramic glass. As a critical safety component, the panoramic glass of the Zeekr 007 GT strictly meets domestic and international safety regulations (such as GB 9656, ECE R43, etc.), providing reliable protection for passengers. Its dimming function has undergone rigorous long-term durability testing to ensure stable and reliable performance. In addition to pursuing extreme hardware specifications, Zeekr has infused intelligence into the panoramic glass. The system integrates environmental light sensors, temperature sensors, and advanced algorithms to automatically adjust the panoramic state based on time, light intensity, and temperature. For example, during the peak sunlight hours, the system can automatically reduce the transmittance to create a near-dark resting environment, effectively isolating sunlight interference and heat sensation; while in scenarios like evening camping, it can automatically increase transmittance, allowing users to enjoy natural light and external scenery, achieving an intelligent comfort experience of 'seeing the scenery without being sunburned.' Looking ahead, the field of intelligent dimming panoramic glass technology continues to evolve, with different technological routes consistently breaking through core indicators. As industry experts have observed, current technological solutions are rapidly optimizing in aspects such as color performance, minimum and maximum transmittance levels, power consumption, operating voltage, response speed, haze control, and regional adaptability, with significant potential for future exploration. Zeekr will continue to closely monitor cutting-edge technological trends, committed to integrating superior optical performance, lower energy consumption, faster response times, broader adaptability to application scenarios, and ultimate user experience into the design of its next-generation products, leading the innovation of intelligent cabin lighting experiences. In this process, how to balance the continuous technological leadership with large-scale production implementation, ensuring competitive product costs while promoting the widespread application and popularization of top-notch technical indicators, is a challenge that the entire industry, including Zeekr, must tackle collectively, with a promising and exciting future ahead.